Problems
by kimmiehp
Summary: The apocalypse is over, everyone is living at the mansion as a family again. Luther and Allison are together, Five and Delores are happy together. Will a certain Klaus encounter his former lover? Five is having problems with his mental state, Klaus is trying to go sober for his lover, Diego is working on his anger, Luther and Allison are working on listening to people for once.
1. Chapter 1

The cold air suffocated those that mourned the loss of Vanya Hargreeves.

Allison let a tear stream down her flushed cheeks as she felt a firm hand upon her shoulder. She looked up seeing Luther's smiling face. She jerked away from his touch. She could feel the throbbing in her throat return, painfully.

Five limped his way over to the grave and silently gave his condolences. He didn't want it to end in her death. He never wanted anyone to die. He just wanted her to be free from the pain she inflicted upon herself and the world. Now she was free.

Allison cleared her sore throat and stepped up to the grave. "She really loved music. It was the only thing that really understood her. The faces she would make, and how happy she felt when she played." Allison whispered in a horse voice. Her eyes showed signs of deep reminiscence.

Allison set her violin in Vanya's grave and wiped away her tears.

Five shoved his small, prepubescent hands in his pockets.  
"She took one for the team." He acknowledged.

"Took one for the team?" Diego asked, sarcastically. "She was murdered." He stated.

"The correct term is, 'sacrificed'. And it was for the safety of the ENTIRE world, she knew that and acknowledged it." Five replied.  
"That doesn't mean it hurt her any less." Allison whispered, obviously attempting to sound angry.

"Well, it happened the way it happened. It was her life, or billions of others. We had to be prepared and we were. Just like Luther said." Five snapped, cocking his head with a cheeky smile.

"You little shit!" Diego yelled and started walking towards Five, but found himself being pushed back by Luther. "Not now." Luther warned, hand on Diego's muscular chest.  
Five let his countenace soften and looked towards the grave that was in the ground, about to be crushed by pounds of dirt.  
"I am gravely sympathetic towards her death. This wasn't a part of my plan. But it happened, and that's just how it is." Five said.

"Can't you change it?" Allison asked, walking towards him.  
"Change it?" Five questioned.  
"Yeah, go back in time and fix it?" She hoped.

Five shook his head and walked over to Delores who was wearing a black shirt and black hat for the funeral. She was sitting in a chair over by the corner, and he knew better than to leave her alone for too long.

"What? Why not?" Allison pressed, chasing him to Delores's direction.

Five picked Delores up and caressed her head. "If I did that there would be an apocalypse. No matter what, as long as she's alive the world will die." Five said.

"But we can help her, tell her we love her!" Allison raised her voice regretfully, feeling a sharp pain shoot through her neck and head.  
"We could. But in the end, fate is fate. Dear old Daddy wasn't afraid of her for no reason." Five gave a solemn look. She was really a ticking time bomb. As long as she lived, no one else would. It was simple, yet so frustrating.

He corrugated his eyebrows and looked at them all. "You know, instead of blaming me, you should take a look in the mirror. The damn book she wrote that pissed you all off for some reason? She was proud of that, as you guys should have been. The first time she does something independently and she gets ridiculed for it. That's why she's a bomb." He made sure to look at each member with his sharp bold eyes, and stomped away back into the house.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"They just don't understand, Delores." Five ranted, pacing back and forth with a bottle of moonshine in his hand.  
"Of course I want her back!" He looked in her direction. "How could you say that?" He paused and thought. "Okay, okay. You're right." He said in defeat. "No, no. I get it. You're always right, Delores." He put a hand up in defense.

"Five?" Allison asked aloud, hearing Five's voice. She knew he was talking to Delores. Luther followed behind her, watching the scene as well. They all kind of felt bad for him. Talking to Delores as if she were real, feeling like that's the only thing you have. He must've been or is so lonely.

Five turned around to face the two, taking another sip of his alcoholic beverage.  
"Who're you talking to?" She slowly eased up close to him.

"Delores." He gestured to his beautiful lady on the couch.  
"You know she doesn't talk right?" She asked with a small laugh.

"She's just shy. She also gets really jealous when I'm around other females." He paused in remembrance. "30 years and she still doesn't trust me." He shook his head. "But I still love her." He smiled.

Allison looked at him in scrutiny, wondering how mentally unstable this boy/man really is.  
"No, Five. Really. She can't talk. She's not real." Allison didn't know if he was going to be upset hearing this or not.

"Why isn't she real? She's real enough for me." Five sounded a little startled at her perseverance with this topic.

"Five-" Allison was cut off by Luther's hand on her shoulder indicating that it was a sensative subject and she needed to stop.  
"I'm sorry." Allison shook her head.

Five smiled. "You know. You people complain so much about being alone, being in so much bullshit all the time. You don't know the half of it. You're all so oblivious to everything and you all think your problems are the worst.  
Delores is all I have. She's been there for me through everything. When I was alone in the future, when I came back, when I was too weak to continue. None of you have been there or cared enough about anyone but yourselves to stop and think about how other people feel. Which is exactly why Vanya was the way she was." He ranted and threw his bottle behind him.  
He picked up Delores and walked away from the two.  
"He's right." Allison whispered. "No, he's not. He's just mad right now." Luther reassured. "No. He's right." Allison didn't look at Luther and stood up making a dramatic leave.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Delores, you know I love you. Stop saying that." Five sighed and put a hand over his face.  
"You're driving me crazy!" He whisper yelled. "No, no, no. Delores, I didn't mean it." He gave a sympathetic look.

"You're the only woman for me, Delores." He smiled and rubbed her head. A soft knock was heard at the door.

"Five?" Asked a voice. Five turned and saw Diego standing in the door. "Family meeting." He said sternly, obviously still upset at Five.  
"Can't you see I'm in an argument right now!" Five snapped.  
"Delores, calm down!" He yelled, but then widened his eyes.  
"Oh, no. I'm sorry Delores, don't cry. I didn't mean it, I'm just a little irritated." He slammed down on his knees and cupped her face in his hands. "Don't be upset. I hate it when you're upset." He whined.  
"Fine! Be that way then!" He yanks away from her and walked towards Diego. "Family meeting it is." He smiled and pushed past him.

Diego stood there wide eyed. He knew the mannequin was important to him, but didn't think it was this serious. This was just weird. Five really was a psycho. He walked over to Delores and bent down, staring into her painted on eyes. He felt like they were looking into his soul. How could he have any type of romantic feelings for this creepy thing? He shivered at the thought and reached out a finger to poke it on the head. He touched it and immediately jumped back at the contact. This thing was creepy as hell. He slowly backed away and walked fastly out of the door and down the stairs.

Five flew down on the couch with his flexible body. "I remember when I couldn't do things like that, when my body was old and cramping. Sometimes I'm glad I'm 13 again." He smiled widely and threw his legs on the couch to get comfy.  
"We have some things to talk about." Luther stated loudly. He knew how to project his voice when he wanted to.

"Proceed." Five said. "With EVERYONE." Said Luther, eyeballing every member of the family.

"Vanya is gone, but so is the apocalypse. We need to move on, and try to be better than before. We need to LIVE. We need to help each other. There are some issues that haven't been brought into the light and they need to be. Like," he paused. "Five's fear of being alone again and weird a attachment to an inanimate object. Or Klaus's drug addiction and why he even uses. We haven't been the best family, we haven't been there much for each other, but here is where it starts. Now. We couldn't help Vanya, but we can help each other." He looked at each unsure eye in the family.

"Okay, that's enough for me." Five said. He stood up about to transport himself elsewhere. "Five. You said it yourself. We have been pretty selfish." Luther said.  
"It's great that you're looking into your self centered flaws, but that has nothing to do with me."  
Luther smiled and began walking up stairs to Five's bedroom. He laid eyes on Delores and wrapped his big hands around her.

He returned down the stairs and made eye contact with Five as he swung Delores around his back and in view. "Do you want her to die?" Luther warned.

"You are such an asshole." Five glared. "Put her down. Now. " Five gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.  
"No. Stay and talk and I'll let her go." Luther cocked his head.

Five sat back down eyeballing Luther's every move. "Give her back." Five said.  
Luther set her down and gave a sympathetic look.  
"We're a family, Five. We just want to start acting like it again." His voice softened.

"That's got nothing to do with me."  
"You came back to save us for a reason, I know you care." Luther said.

He was right. Of course Five cared. He was just a cranky 58 year old who hadn't had his daily cup of coffee yet.  
"Fine. Proceed." He said in defeat. He could escape if he wanted. He's defeated terrorists and assassins far more dangerous than any of his other siblings. Except Vanya of course.  
"Why do you talk to Delores?" Diego asked. It wasn't out of anything but genuine curiosity. The thing was creepy.

"Because she's the only woman who understands me." He stated.  
"None of you idiots could even comprehend the level of superiority she brings." He crossed his arms and stared at the wall.

"Or, 45 years alone did some damage on that wacko brain of yours." Diego commented.

"This has nothing to do with my isolation or my mental state. My brain might not have been properly advanced in the subject of love or my teenage years, and isolation might do wicked things to the brain, but that doesn't decrease my knowledge in reality. She's the only one that makes me feel less alone. Simple as that." Five crossed his leg over the other and gave a crooked smile. Usually he wouldn't he so open about his feelings on things, but he'd do anything to get Delores and leave this place.

"Tell them the things you told me about your past." Luther said.

"Is that a command, number one?" He asked, cockily.

"Yes." Luther said.  
"I was a hitman. The best. My former employer was The Handler. She hired me to be an assassin and I had a 5 year contract, but I broke it to prevent the apocalypse. She came to me and offered me a job and I was so desperate that I said yes. Anything was better than spending the rest of my years in that place. I killed so many people. But what they didn't know is I was plotting a plan the entire time. Before I had to shoot John F. Kennedy, I created a portal and found my way back here. She told me it was fate, that it was inevitable. The world was destined to die. But I changed it. She didn't care that I broke the contract, she didn't want me to stop it. I had to leave Delores behind, but I found her again." He looks in her direction.

"It's become sort of a game, the Handler and I. To sort of...one up each other, I suppose. To out do one another, to surprise each other." He smiled remembering her. "She's such a cunt." He said.

"YOU killed John F. Kennedy?" Allison asked in surprise.  
"Of course not. I said BEFORE. You guys should listen more. I left before I had to." He said.

"An assassin?" Diego asked in surprise. He was impressed.

"Highly appreciated assassin, might I add." Five corrected.

"Damn." Diego rubbed his chin in thought.

"Did you kill anyone important?"  
Klaus asked, jumping up in question.

"Irrelevant. Any other last bit of privacy you guys would like to shred apart?" His sarcastic tone drenched every word.

Everyone was silent for a moment. The noise in the room had been kidnapped and replaced with an unavoidable silence.  
"Did you ever fuck her?" Klaus chimed in.

"What?" Five felt an uncomfortable feeling arise in his stomach.

"Delores. I mean." He scoffed,"you must've gotten horny at one point, right?"

Five's eyes widened in horror.  
"I fail to understand how that's any of your business. To answer your question, no. I didn't FUCK her." He spat.

Klaus began in a fit of laughter.  
"He totally did!" He accused Five and began pointing at him.

"I did not." He defended and slapped his finger away.  
Klaus made a skeptical face.  
"Then, why do you look so suspicious?"

Five corrugated his eyebrows and sighed. "I don't. "

Klaus scooted closer to him.  
"Are you a virgin?"

Five stopped looking at the wall and looked down at his small hands. "No." He said in a low voice.

"No?" Klaus made an 'O' face and put his hands to his mouth. "Oohh." He squealed. "I love gossip! Spill the tea, girl." Klaus said.

Five blinked slowly and twiddled his fingers. "Again. Irrelevant." He avoided the question.  
"No,no,no. Finish the answer!" Klaus pushed.

"I never started the answer." He replied lazily. He was getting bored with this. If he ever told them who it was, they would laugh.

"Oh come on, bud. You can tell your big ole brother. I'm a reliable source." He creepily smiled.

Five raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "Highly doubtful." He said.  
Klaus opened his mouth widely in shock. "I'm completely, UTTERLY flabbergasted. To think. My little bitty wee brother doesn't trust ME. The thought hurts. It hurts right," he put his hand over his heart. "Here." He finished, blinking dramatically.

"You thought right for once." Five concluded.  
"Come on. Pweeaassee?" Klaus scooted closer to his face.  
Five slapped his face. "Ow! What the fuck man!" Klaus yelled.  
"Butt out." Five said.

"Oh come on! Just tell me!"  
"Guys! You're missing the point of this meeting!" Luther's loud voice boomed.

"He started it and I wanna hear the rest!" Klaus ignored Luther's protests and pestered Five some more.

"You're going to drive him away, Klaus." Luther said.

"Correct." Five agreed.  
"Okay, okay. Can I guess?" He hoped, batting his eyes.

"You won't guess it." Five smiled, sarcastically.

"Try me." He 'hmm'd' for a moment and spoke, "Okay, so it's NOT Delores?" He meant it as a statement, but asked it instead.

"I'm not telling you who it is, Klaus." Five said.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no." He tapped his chin. "How old were you when it happened?" Klaus asked.

"58." He responded bitterly.

"58? Damn. Isn't Delores jealous?" Klaus touched her bald head and rubbed it. "Shame. On. Him." Klaus mocked to her face.

"Stop touching her, asshole. We talked about it." Five began tapping his foot uncontrollably, obviously getting irritated.

"Must've been someone older then, huh?" He paused. "Was it someone you worked with perhaps?" He tapped his chin.  
Five flinched at the mention of his employer and mentally slapped himself.  
"Oh?" Klaus laughed. "Did I...strike a cord?" Five was silent and Klaus took that as a yes. "Oh! I did! Who was it? The woman you were talking about that offered you a job?" He asked. Five looked at him and rolled his eyes.

"Yes! It was, wasn't it? Damn, I'm good." He seemed pretty satisfied with himself.  
"Can we move on?" Five interrupted his laughing session.

"I'm good now." Klaus raised his hands up in defense at Luther's glare.

"Okay. Now that that's out of the way-"  
"Can I just ask? If you two fucked, why did she try to kill you? What happened?" Klaus interrupted and ignored the Luther. He sassily propped his head up on his hand and his other hand on his hip.

Five sighed and shifted away from Klaus. "My relationship with her is a very complicated one. You kids wouldn't understand." He said.

"Oh, come on grandpa." Klaus punched his arm playfully.  
"I did what I had to do. The reason I was the best was because I was so selfish and I did things without mercy. I didn't stop to think about how wrong it was. I thought about the plan only." Five huffed loudly.

"What did you do?" That intrigued not only Klaus this time, but everyone in the house.

"I seduced her. Then I dumped her when I left my contract. I got advantages from using her, she didn't suspect it. I one upped her. Then, when I left she probably would've just recruited me again or made a deal with me had I not have done that to her, especially due to my extraordinary skills in assassination. She never wanted me to work for her again. She wanted to use me like I used her. She wanted me to let the world end and let you all die."

"Damn! Five, you are a lady killer!"  
"Holy shit!" They all laughed at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Allison laughed.

"I did many things. Many unfortunate things to get back to you guys. You should be grateful." He advised.

"We are." They agreed.

TBC...


	2. I heard a rumor

Five walked to his favorite donut shop when he used to be a kid, Delores in one arm.

"Who do they think they are anyways?" Five ranted.  
"I told you it meant nothing, Delores. You know this. You have to move on."  
He walked to the doors of the donut shop and noticed the lights were off. The lot was empty, the place itself looked empty. He couldn't remember a time when this place ever closed.  
He looked to the side of the door and noticed a paper, hand written he presumed. He picked the letter up and scoffed. "Closed, huh? I'll be damned." He whispered.  
(A/N: The place was never exploded btw.)  
He turned around letting the paper drop with his arm, and he looked down at Delores.

"Now what?" He asked, looking down at her. He hadn't really thought of it all yet. He spent so long freaking out over the apocalypse, the days after were something he never had a chance to plan out.

"Didn't you always want to go to Greece?" He asked Delores. "Want to go?" he paused. "Yeah. We should go tomorrow." He smiled at her. "I'm sorry about before. I'm just new to this whole family thing and it's uh." He started walking towards the street to cross it. "Weird." He finished.

Five yawned and wiped his eyes to rid the tiredness. "I'm fine, Delores. Quit nagging." He retorted. "Five!" Five looked up from the ground and tried to make his fatigued eyes adjust to the voice ahead of him. "Allison?" Allison's smile had disappeared and replaced with a worried face. "Are you okay Five?" She asked.

"I'm fine." He responded shortly. He wasn't weak. He was fine. "You sure? You look kinda.." She looked at his unkempt appearance with worry considering he usually kept his appearance in tact and his countenance cocky and smug. He looked ill. His hair was quite messy and wasn't slicked down like it usually was. His skin seemed so pale to the dark bags under his big eyes. "Messy." She finished.

"Likewise." He said, giving her a glare up and down. "Seriously. You don't look too good. I know you like to push yourself until your body can't handle it anymore, but the apocalypse is over and you're not in the future anymore. You aren't alone." She reassured.

"Obviously. Delores is right here." He smiled his signature cocky smile and walked past her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Allison walked through the mansion door finding everyone, minus Diego, standing there staring at her. "Well?" Luther asked.

Allison raised her hands in the air and slammed then back down beside her in a dramatic way. "He didn't listen." she said. "I mean. I'm a mother, you'd think I'd know how to talk to a kid."

Luther scrunched his eyebrows together. "He's not a kid. He's a grumpy 58 year old."

Allison laughed. "Yeah. It's hard to remember that sometimes." She walked over to Luther and looked up at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry I was pushing you away." She closed the big gap between them and left only two inches apart from them, and a seductive look was planted on her flawless face. "You were upset." Luther acknowledged.

She put a hand on his chest and her eyes sparkled. "You always see the good in people before you see the bad."

"It's a curse." He laughed. "Yet it's a gift." She added.

"Vanya loved you, you know." Luther said. Allison seemed surprised at the mention of her name. "Yeah. I sure hope so." She took her hand off of his chest and changed her expression to a longing one before exiting the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What do you mean?" He sighed and put his hands on his hips, turning around. "Delores, I am not being dramatic here. I'm going to find out who stole the last cup of coffee, and I'm going to make them pay." He eyeballed her. "Don't give me that look." He turned back around and began writing more equations down.

Ever since the apocalypse was over, he's had a craving for that rush he'd had for over 45 years. That feeling of being needed for something had faltered, and had been replaced with that same feeling of being ordinary. He hated hated that word. No one was "Ordinary". We all have our different flaws and quirks. It was a desire to be "normal" yet no one could even define what being normal meant.

Humans crave that feeling so much, yet they can't decipher what it means. They switch it around so much, and only the people that have a certain dominance over society get to rule out and establish what is "normal". Everyone switches their standards so often, no one has a chance to evolve fully, they just have to change again to match the next set of society's unreasonable expectations. It was unbelievably exhausting, and Five had never even experienced it before. Just seeing it terrified him more than the 45 years of isolation. Okay, maybe not that much, but still.

"I know. You're right. I'm being a little bit unreasonable." He shook his head at Delores. "But, I do know that I'll die if I don't figure out this mystery." He proceeded to write more down. "I'm not acting crazy. If you had a caffeine addiction and woke up to no coffee, you'd be upset as well."

"Hey, who you talking to?" Diego walked in and found his question answered when he saw Delores sitting on the window seal. "Oh." He cocked his head looking at her sideways.

"What are you doing?" Diego slowly walked up to Five's bed and tried to read his math covered walls. "What is this? What are you doing?" He asked Five.

Five inhaled and exhaled letting his shoulders rise and fall dramatically. "You sure you want to know?" He asked Diego. "No, not really. But it's not like I have anything else to do." Diego bitterly replied.

Five let out a small airy laugh. "As of right now I am elongating every possible outcome to form a quick hypothesis. Dates, times, areas. Each outcome. One person is responsible for the crime I'm currently trying to scrutinize, and I plan to elucidate it with fury." He smiled a seemingly innocent smile, but those who knew him knew all too well it was anything but that.

"Riighhtt." Diego dragged out the word. "So, what's the crime?" Diego asked.

"It's idiotic of you to ask. As if none of you noticed the absent coffee in the kitchen, knowing full and well that I always need it. You're all so oblivious, it's utterly sickening." He scrunched up with face in disgust. "Listen. None of you had any balls to stand up and take responsibility, so I'm going to solve it myself."

"Five, man. That happened three days ago. You've been trying to solve this for that long?" Diego asked in disbelief.

"I know, strange. Usually something so simple would cost me three minutes." He looked at Delores. "Yeah. Delores was right. Maybe I am a little tired." He turned around to Diego who was wide eyed. "Holy shit. Have you seen yourself lately, Five?" Diego's eyes interrogated his body making Five feel a little uncomfortable. "You people are ruthless." He jumped off his bed and dusted his hands off from the chalk. "Your eyes look a little baggy there."

"And you're not very smart and hot headed, but I don't try to mention that a lot."

"You shit!" Diego hissed between his teeth, grabbing Five by his collar. "Point proven." Diego eagerly let go and looked down at Five as if he were a speck of dust on the ground. "We just want to help you, you know."

"Define, "help" exactly. Does help include family moments like earlier, because if so...I think I'll pass." Five dropped his chin and began walking past Diego. Diego grabbed Five's arm roughly and slammed him against the wall with anger. He didn't want to hurt him, but he only wanted to get a point across. "Listen here. I don't care if you're 58, 28, or 108. You're our brother. Right now, you're 13, and I intend to take matters into my own hands if you can't listen to any of us. Understand? Allison told us you looked severely sleep deprived. I didn't believe her until I saw it for my own eyes. You look like shit, Five. I mean seriously, have you actually looked in the mirror?" Diego may seem like a hot head that didn't care about anyone but himself, but he was just the opposite. He cared about people a little TOO much.

"Yeah." He paused and looked up at Diego. "No, I haven't."

"You should try it sometimes." Diego let go of him and watched his tension release.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" Diego asked. Five looked at him in a questioning manner. "Why do you care? Why do any of you care!?" Five yelled. "Fine. Don't talk. I'm not gonna get on my knees and beg you." Diego turned around swiftly ready to walk out of the door.

Five sighed, yet again and cleared his dry throat. "Every time I close my eyes." He pondered his confession for a moment and continued as he saw Diego stop to listen. "I see everything again. It all just comes rushing back to me." Five whispered the last part. God, he sounded so weak right now. He felt like he was throwing a pity party for himself.

"See what?" Diego asked.

"The future. I'm back there again. I see your dead bodies, crying and begging you guys to wake up until I have the courage to actually leave. I see the fire and the destruction. I start to feel isolated. I begin to see all the people I killed, the horrible food I had to eat, the books I read and read and then re-read some more. I can't go back there again. I can't." Five said. He'd never been so real with anyone except with Delores.

"Five. You're not going back there. Ever." He leaned in towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you need anything you don't have to bottle it up." "It's not that simple. I can't." He looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I can't just talk about how I feel. It's-"

"Trust me, I know." Five knew he would know how it feels. Diego never talked about his feelings, he struggled to even act on them. That was known to everyone.

Diego's face softened. "You should get some sleep. At least try." Diego offered.

Five nodded. "I will." He said.  
Diego closed his eyes and turned around, hopeful that he would at least try.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
"I can't do it." Five looked out of the window as the sun went down. The fatigue had caused him horrendous vertigo and headaches. He wanted to relieve the pain. He wanted to slowly let his eyelids close and sleep, but the thought of seeing that place again made him want to puke.

"I can't go back, Delores." He grabbed her and hugged her.  
"I can't do it." He whispered in her ear.  
"No, I can't." He pulled her back and stared at her. "What if you're NOT there? I don't want to be alone." He kissed her forehead and hugged her again, laying down with her still in his arms.  
"Okay, I'll try." He clenched her tightly and let his eyes slowly shut.  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx  
Darkness. That was what he felt. A deep comfort at first, but was soon replaced with an empty feeling.  
He was drifting in an empty black world filled with nothing.  
Then he fell onto a hard rock ground. Dust and muck covered his face from the ground.  
He stood up, wobbily from his skinny legs. "Hello?" His voice echoed loudly in the air. Isolated and scared, he was again.

He couldn't hear anything but the crackling fires that spread through the destroyed buildings. "Delores!" He called, but only heard a vague echo that lingered throughout the area and finally dispersed after a moment or so.  
"No, no, no, no, no,no. This can't be real." He collapsed to the ground and held his head in his hands. He felt hair on his face. Was it a beard? He looked at his hands, wrinkled and rough. "What?" He whispered. He was back to his old self?

"Hello, number Five."  
Five turned at the voice. "Get away from me!" He yelled, backing away from her.

"You're here again. Welcome back. Except this time. No one is coming to save you, huh? Must be tough." She laughed hysterically.  
"No one is coming to save them either." The handler pointed towards the pile of dead bodies that he concluded were his siblings. "No!" Five yelled out in panic.

"NOOOOOO!" A shrill scream pierced the air with pure horror.  
He couldn't feel his lungs functioning properly and his skin was saturated in a blanket of sweat, which he couldn't tell if he was hot or if it was due to nerves.  
He assumed the heat, because his throat was dry, and his cheeks felt hot.

The 4 siblings, 5 if you count a dead Ben, ran into the room without hesitation, almost as if prepared. They each looked around for any type of danger and when they found none, they looked at Five with curiosity and concern.

"Sorry." He wiped away at his forehead to decrease the sweat layers forming. "Just trying that sleep thing you told me about." He looked up at Diego fake amused at his comment.

His family had been making him more vulnerable. Before this, his siblings were wondering around aimlessly like ants in an ant farm while Five got stuck with the big problems and never got any credit in the end for. He had no time to waste on his emotions when he was trying to end the apocalypse. Now that it's gone, everyone was trying to get him to and he felt hopeless.

He wasn't weak. He wouldn't show it to them. He was 58 for christ's sake. He didn't need to have an emotion for every little thing that crossed his path. Besides, if emotions mean having daddy issues and thinking those are the most important problems ever when the world is about to end and barely doing anything to prevent it, but somehow in the end taking credit for it. Well. Count him out.

"Sounds like it went well, no?" Klaus intended to sound sarcastic, but sounded more concerned, which was unusual for him.

"Perfect." Five said. He went to pick up Delores from the floor, he'd probably knocked her over from his nightmare, and looked into her eyes.

"I told you it wouldn't work." He said, rubbing his eyes. "Are you happy now?" He asked.  
"It's a rhetorical question, Delores." He set her down beside him and sat up looking at the others.

"What happened?" Allison walked walked up to him ignoring his dialogue with Delores.  
"A dream, it's a common thing the human mind develops when their body slumbers." He replied sarcastically.

"Okay." Allison replied shortly and turned around. She stopped walking away and looked back at him. "You know. You don't always have to be such an asshole." She whispered and turned again.

Diego looked at him in a disapproving manner. " You don't always have to act so tough and cocky." Diego said.  
"We all have nightmares." Five said. "It's nothing to complain about." Five replied quietly.

"Yeah, maybe. But that doesn't mean it doesnt hurt just because other people have them too." Diego said. "It's just as much our business if we wake up to you screaming."  
Five looked him up and down.  
"You sleep in that attire? Doubtful."

Diego sighed and licked his teeth.  
"Okay, Five. It doesn't matter. Either way we were shocked when we heard it and we came to help. At least get through that big bad guy attitude and let us help." He said.

Five laughed and walked up to him. He stared Diego right in his eyes and smiled. "You could take your own advice hot head." He patted Diego's shoulder.

Luther stepped in the door way so he couldn't leave. "You guys don't understand my power do you?" Five said.

"Five, stop." Luther pleaded.  
"We've lost you once, we don't want to lose you again."  
The words that Vanya had said to him lingered in his brain. God he started to have a rapidly growing vexation for his family now.

"Alright." He said in defeat and sat back down on his bed.  
"What?" He asked. They all had their own facades. Five's was that deep down he cared about his family too much.

"Why are you having nightmares for one?" Luther asked. Allison crossed her arms and looked at him stupidly as she squinted her eyes. "I keep going back there. Everytime I close my eyes or have a moment alone to think." He looks back up at his math covered walls and gestures towards it.

"This is what I have to do on my free time to calm down. It's like my stressor." Allison walked over to his walls and let her fingers graze the math. "What are you doing?" She asked in awe. He was a complete genius.

"I was trying to figure out what idiot in this house stole that last cup of coffee. The probability is high for who I've found."

She laughed. "You've spent your free time trying to figure that out?" She moved her hands to her hips.  
"Even I could tell you who did it." She looks at Klaus.

Klaus put his hands up in defense.  
"Why are you looking at me?" He asked, casually. "I don't even DRINK coffee." He bursted out.

"No, but ever since you've been trying to go clean you've been drinking caffeine nonstop." Allison said. Five pointed at his wall. "He was already in my hypothesis." Five said.

"That was unnecessary." She laughed.  
"Be quiet. I had to do something or I was going to go insane." Five mumbled under his breath.

"When was the last time you had a proper sleep?" Luther asked.  
"Well." He looked up and blinked quickly. "I'd say, considering I jumped to the future at age 13 and spent the next disdainful 45 years there. Oh, about." He paused and looked them both in their faces.  
"45 years." He said.

"45 years? Five that's unhealthy. That's not okay." Allison said. She was completely shocked. She couldn't even go more than 2 hours without sleep without wanting to die. 45 years? Hell no.

"How aren't you dead yet?" Luther asked.  
"I've slept, just not much." He replied shortly.

Allison looked at Luther with a saddened face. They might not be the best siblings, but they cared about each other a lot when it came to their health.

She bent down in front of Five and looked him in the eyes.  
"I heard a rumor," She began, locking eyes with him. They always made a certain face before they did what she said. She looked for it. There. "That you fell asleep without any nightmares until you were fully rested."

Five looked at her and nodded. He laid back down and closed his eyes.

"I thought you didn't use them anymore." Luther nudged her.

She smiled. "This was worth it." She replied. "Besides, he looks adorable." She could see a little of her own daughter in him. The youth that people forget Five bears was clearly visible when he slept.  
He was finally at rest.

TBC...


	3. love in the family

Klaus ached and itched. The sweat poured from his skin like molten lava. His hands were shaking, more like uncontrollably vibrating.

"I can't do this Ben." He growled under his breath. "Yes you can. You can do it." Ben said, even though Klaus never listened to him anyways.

He clenched the sides of his head and yelled in a panic. "Ben! I can't!" He yelled. Ben used his newfound skill and slapped him over the head. "Yes, you can!" He yelled at him.

Allison barged through the wooden door that leads to Klaus's room, eyes widened. "Klaus! Are you okay?" She asked. Her mom instincts were kicking in.

"I'm okay." He brushed it off coolly and wiped his hair down with his hands. "I'm just detoxing." He said, as if it were nothing.

"Do you need any help?" She asked hopefully. She felt horrible that they had all just blown off his drug addiction this entire time as if it were nothing. They had been horrible siblings. They hadn't helped Klaus at all, just mocked him.

"No, no. I'm okay." He said shortly. He tried to stand up on his sweating wobbling legs, but he lost his balance and began to tip over.

Allison arrived just in the direction he was falling and caught him effortlessly. He was quit light for his age. He was like a feather.

"Come on, Klaus. Let me help. Let's get you in bed." She said and guided him to the bed.

"Here. Just lay down and rest. Do you have any drugs on you right now?" She asked.

He looked at her with hopeless eyes and shook his head.

"No." He said. She knew he was lying when he didn't talk much.

She bent over knowing he wasn't going to answer her truthfully when it came to drugs.

"I heard a rumor that you gave me all of your drugs." Using her powers for this was worth it. They all needed to start acting like a family again.

Klaus began giving her all the drugs he had on him and sat back down.

Allison smiled with her glossy lips and stood up straight. "Get some rest." She said.

Klaus cleared his throat and wiped at his sweaty brow. "Yeah. I'll try." He said.

She walked out of the room with the drugs in hand. Ben sat beside him on the bed. "Seems like you guys are warming up." He noted.

Klaus scoffed, but he threw an arm over his eyes and tried to ease himself into a peaceful sleep.

"Klaus." A voice said. Klaus opened his eyes and looked at Ben in a questioning manner.

"What?" He asked, exhaustion lacing his voice.

Ben made a sarcastic face.

"That wasn't me." He said and pointed over to the wall.

Klaus threw his arm beside him and quickly began to set up in confusion. He scrunched up his eyes as the light attacked them with fury. "What.." he mumbled as his eyes adjusted.

"Dave." He whispered and threw himself up from his bed, ignoring the waves of vertigo. He was sober. Maybe they could even touch.

He felt himself truly smile for once and wanted to grab the man in front of him passionately, but he knew he had to contain himself.

"You're alive?" Dave questioned as he glanced at his appearance.

Klaus chuckled and looked himself up and down throwing his hands in the air dramatically.

"Yeah!" He paused. "Sadly so."

"But how?" Dave asked.

Klaus gave a solemn look.

"It's a really looong story." He said and threw himself back on his bed.

"From what I've heard, as long as you stay off drugs, I've got all the time in the world." He smiles.

"I was born in 1989 along with my other siblings. We were born with gifts. Each of my siblings have something different. I was born with a gift to see and interact with the dead. And.." Klaus stopped and swallowed as he cleared his throat.

"I accidently time traveled, and I was scared. So fucking scared. But I followed you to the end."

He was able to touch him with his powers. Klaus put a hand on his thigh in comfort.

Dave gasped. "You can touch me?" He asked. "Wait, how can you even see me?" Dave's eyes widened in curiosity.

"I'm in something called the Umbrella Academy. It's a school where people with powers like myself go to control their skills.

I don't know how we have these powers, but I've been able to see the dead for a while. I just recently discovered that I can touch them too." Klaus smiled.

Dave smiled and reached out to touch Klaus back. "I have missed you so much. I love you more than anything." Klaus said.

"I love you too." Dave replied.

Klaus leaned to Dave's face to give him a kiss and made contact with his thin soft lips.

"Ahem." A voice said. Ben crossed his arms on the other side of the bed. "That's my brother. Our father put us through many unstable obstacles at a young age and got Ben killed. Father of the year." He laughed sarcastically and shrugged his shoulders.

"I've heard many great things about you." Ben said to Dave. He held out his hand to Dave and gave a kind simper. Dave gratefully took the shake and smiled back.

"He really loves you." Ben said.

"Which is quite a surprise, because this piece of shit doesn't love anyone." Ben laughed as Dave chuckled along.

"I mean, seriously? What did you do?" Ben asked.

"He didn't need to do anything. He's perfect without even trying." Klaus said looking into Dave's eyes intensely.

Allison stared at the mountain of curls that stuck in place on her head. She always hated them. They were wild and frizzy, tangling up with the slightest movements. For a while she considered chopping it all off, getting a fresh start.

Her flawless coffee shade skin, walnut eyes, and caramel swirl colored hair made her look like a Greek goddess in the lights of the flash photography and bright lights on the red carpet.

At first sight you would easily notice her in a crowd. All her life she had wanted to be famous for something other than a freak who had powers. She wanted to get it based on her own skill. She wanted people to genuinly like her. But that almost all changed after the debate with her powers.

She almost lost it all because of a stupid decision to use them on her daughter.

She felt like a terrible mother, she knew she was. She wasn't ready to be one. She only married her husband on a whim. She ignored the love for Luther and married him because she had accidently gotten pregnant. Now here she was in the mansion instead of with her daughter. It felt shitty.

She knew that her daughter was better off with him, and of course she isn't going to just abandon her daughter, but she decided to just let her be for now. She would visit and ask for rights back, but she needed to settle in first and get everything situated. They all wanted to be a family again. She had to make it happen.

She would wait first, and then she would fight for custody.

Allison traced her soft skin in the mirror and looked at it as the chills sprawled throughout her very well built body.

A soft knock was heard at the door.

"Allison?" Luther asked before entering. Allison laughed at his manners and stood up.

"Yes?"

"I'm just wondering, but uh. What are you going to do about Claire?" He asked innocently.

Allison crossed her arms and raised her neatly structured eyebrows. "I don't know yet. I haven't decided." She said.

"I'm trying to figure it all out." She stated.

Luther nodded. " Are you okay?" He asked.

Allison nodded. "You sure? You seem upset." He acknowledged.

"Vanya is dead, Klaus is suffering from a severe drug addiction, and my daughter is my with me, so yeah. I'm a little upset, Luther." She said with a snarl on her upper lip.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that." He tried. "I'm a little worried about Klaus." She said.

"We all are." He said.

"Let's help him. Please." She suggested. Luther looked her in those susceptible fatigued eyes and couldn't deny her good wishes.

"Alright. Alright. We will have a meeting." He said. Allison smiled and looked down at his oversized hands. She gratefully took them in her own. "I want us to be a family again just as much as you." She said.

Luther smiled. "I'm glad."

"I want Claire to come and live with us. We have enough room." Allison said in a hopeful tone. Luther smiled at her optimism. That would definetly get her killed one of these days. It was her weak point.

Five teleported into the kitchen, hands shaking from the lack of coffee. He reached out for the pot and began to pour himself another cup. "Five, family meeting." Five sighed as Diego announced it into the kitchen. Were they ever going to give this up?

"And guess what? It's not about you." Diego smiled sarcastically.

Five igmored him and teleported back to the living room and onto the couch. Everyone was there except Klaus who everyone could hear trudging down the old rickety stairs. *creak* *creak*

It sent shivers down Five's spine. He hated that sound.

He yawned as he reached the bottom stair and looked in an almost drunken haze at the familiar faces staring at him from afar. He wearily walked in and sighed. "Oh, goody. It's my turn." He threw his lanky arms in the air in a dramatic way.

"Oh, doctor. I've been feeling so depressed lately, please give me pills!" He exclaimed while gently touching Luther's chest in a sexual manner. Luther grabbed his arm and threw them aside.

"Sit." He commanded. Klaus threw his hands up in defense and giggled. "Okay, tough guy." He replied sarcastically. He slammed down on the couch beside Five and laid a hand om his thigh. "Where's Delores?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Five sipped on his coffee once more and looked at Klaus thoroughly. "She's resting." He said. "Oh, is she?-" "Klaus!" Luther chimed in.

"We are having another meeting because we think you need help." Luther said. Allison stood up from her chair and smiled at him calmly. "We should have said something sooner, Klaus. We never questioned why you even used. We just made fun of you, I mean do you seriously need help? Are- Are you sick or-or have the drugs damaged your body? I mean, why did you even start using? You knew they were bad, right?" Allison felt a hand on her shoulder and she stopped immediately feeling as though she was asking too many personal questions. Klaus didn't look too offended, he actually found this rather amusing. Five was personally very intrigued as well.

"I started when I was around 15 or 16. I mean at the time it seemed like a better alternative than staying in a graveyard for hours and hours on end until dad thought I was ready to come out. I don't know why I decided to do it, but once I did I realized that the more I stayed strung out, the less I heard the voices. The less they scared me. The less dad saw in me. Eventually he gave up on me." He said. He actually didn't expect himself to follow through with this, but once it happened it just happened. Five looked at him in surprise. "You got sober after Vietnam didn't you?" Five asked. The rest of the group looked at them in confusion.

"Yeah, I did. Dave was my drug." He smiled in remembrance. "But, uh. It's easy to fall back into it." He finished. "Do you want to stop?" Diego asked. Klaus tapped his foot impatiently, suddenly not liking this meeting.

"Yes, I do." He scoffed. "What addict doesn't want to stop? It's a NEED. I can't stop, and I," He paused. "I found Dave. He's here. Ben found him and brought him to me." He said with a smile of appreciation.

"Dad made you stay in a cemetery?" Allison asked. "You guys didn't know that? Old pop decided it was best for little me to stay there for hours and days to help me get over my fear of dead people, which later turned into a bigger fear which resulted in drugs. " He laughed.

"He truly failed me." He found that idea truly amusing among all.He died without his wish.

"Shit." Allison said in horror. The thought made her physically sick. He never did anything like that to her. She had no real reason to hate him, but she certainly didn't like him. He was a sick son of a bitch. "Tie him up." Allison said. Klaus looked at her confused, breath becoming panicky. "What?" He asked. Luther didn't hesitate to jump up and grab Klaus's lanky arms and pin him back. "Get some rope." Luther ordered to no one in distinct. Diego walked into the other room and began to pick up some rope. Allison stood in front of him as he was slammed down against the chair and tied down.

"Klaus. This is for your own good." She said. Klaus laughed and squinted so the sweat wouldn't drip in his small eye crease. He shook his head and licked his dry cracked lips. Five sat down in front of him and hmmed for a moment. "Have you ever tried it with a ghost?" He smiled cockily as Klaus looked up at him in shock that Five would have asked such a thing.

"You made me suffer through mine." Five offered in amusement. "No, I havent. But I definitely want to." He said breathless.

"With who?" Five asked.

Klaus eyeballed him and shook his head. "Come on, tell us about it." They all urged him.

These were going to be some long withdrawals.

"Dave. The love of my life." He said. He felt a hand touch his drenched shoulder in a comforting way. He could still remember his beautiful smell. His taste, his little distinct features that Dave himself didn't even notice. There wasn't a single thing about Dave that Klaus didn't know about. He was the most beautiful person Klaus had ever heard of. The only person he could even stand to be around. Dave. The name was like a drug. He wanted to try it with him one day. But he couldn't unless he got fully sober. He needed his siblings weather he wanted to admit it or not. They all needed each other. Like a real family.

Sorry for any typos


	4. You're an alcoholic, Five

Five was indeed an alcoholic.

They all knew it. He loved coffee, Delores, and his alcohol. They were pretty sure it wasn't good for his newer smaller body.

The amount of times Luther and Diego had to carry the small male to his bed was getting higher and higher.

He said some WILD things when he was heavily intoxicated like this. The things that went through this boy's mind was ridiculous. Hilarious and also kinda sad sometimes. Especially when he talked about Delores.

He would stumble through the mansion doors, swaying and sweating. Eyes glassy and dazed as he tried to keep down his nausea.

Delores was hanging on his side like a toddler. But this time it was different.

His eyes were still glassy, but they were focused and distant. As if he were in a deep ponder. The skin under his eyes were rubbed red and raw from what it looked like he had been rubbing them from tears.

He wasn't swaying as much, more so fumbly with his feet as if irritated. The collar of his shirt was pulled up like a cape and his tie was pulled out of his shirt. His sweat lined his upper lip and forehead as it dripped continuously. He felt like shit. And not the plastered kind of shit. But the, 'fuck my life' kind of shit. His shoulders slumped as if he were ashamed of something, but he was just tired of holding them up properly like he usually did. He was tired of everything, really.

Tired of being here. Tired of this body. Tired of reliving the past everyday. You could see it in his face.

The siblings were all taken aback by his unusual drunken demeanor. He wasn't goofy, no smart remarks. Just sadness forming around him and tears lining the edges of his eyelids.

"Five, are you okay?" Allison was always the first one to ask. She was always the first one to care. She only snapped on Vanya once and felt like complete shit about it afterwards anyways. She was probably the only one who really cared about him and Klaus, at least that's what Five thought.

"Fine." He said shortly. Again, no snarky remarks or anything. Just silence.

She raised an eyebrow at the aroma that passed by her nose.

"Really, Five? Again? You know you can't keep this up, right?" She questioned him in a stern manner.

She almost seemed like she was parenting him, which in a way she kind of was. She was a parent, afterall. She had those instincts that liked to kick in every now and then. But it only made Five angrier. He wasn't a child.

"I'm fine the way I am, which is none of your business." He shoved past her.

"It is when everyone has to help you to bed every night, and watch you kill yourself slowly. This isn't healthy, Five. It doesn't matter if you want our help or not, it's not healthy. Did we not have this discussion already?" Allison questioned again.

Five looked at her irritatedly and sighed. "No, I don't believe we did."

He replied.

"Oh, good. Then let's have it again?" She offered.

He turned around quickly and growled. "Just leave me be!" He almost yelled at her. She was quite taken aback, but she didn't stop the pestering. She was sure he would break if she kept it up.

The yell seemed to catch everyone else's attention in the living room slowly. Luther and Diego began to strut in the lobby of the mansion where Five had been trying to escape. Their eyes scanned the room in scrutiny as they laid eyes on Five and smelled the already thickening smell. They squished their eyes together and began swatting away the smell.

"Five, man. Not again." Diego began, but Allison shushed him. Five began walking up the large staircase that he had been trying to escape to the entire time.

"Five, come back and talk to us, please." She pleaded. Five sighed at her hopeful tone and turned around. Usually he would ignore her, but alcohol made him vulnerable and naive.

"What?" He asked.

Allison walked over to him and reached for Delores. " I can take her and put her to bed." She offered with a small smile. Five looked at her confused and nodded hesitantly. "Just go sit down on the couch, okay?" She looked him in the eyes and said. He let her take Delores and he walked away from the stairs and to the couch as Allison began to put Delores away.

Diego and Luther walked into the living room with Five and let the awkward tension embrace them as they slowly waited for Allison to come back down and save them with her mom skills.

"I put her in your bed." Allison said as she took her seat next to the drunken boy. He ignored her and furrowed his eyebrows as he felt a stinging headache forming behind his burning eyelids.

She smiled and prepared for her mom voice. "Five?" She began.

"You don't have to drink it all away. If you need to talk, we are all here." She said.

For the first time in a long time, Five felt a tear stream down his flushed cheeks. Damned alcohol. He would never in his sobered life act so vulnerable in front of anyone, especially his siblings. Allison herself was pretty shocked by this action and proceeded to act just as she was before. She wanted to break him down.

Five quickly wiped away the lonely tear just as another fell from his other side. God, this was so embarrassing. Only Delores had ever seen him so vulnerable and weak. He had built up a tolerance to pain, mental and physical pain.

"Five. It's okay to show feelings."

Luther added.

"No! It's not! Do you know what training I went through? It's not okay at all!"

"You're not there anymore. Who gives a shit what they taught you before this, you're here now. Just because you went through all that training doesn't mean you all of a sudden don't have feelings. You can't keep running away from all that pain you suffered through alone. You're not alone anymore." Allison said. She wanted him to get it through his thick skull. Five was so fucking stubborn.

"I know I'm not alone. I just. I can't." He stopped and pondered what he was trying to say. He couldn't even figure out what he was trying to say. He didn't know anything anymore.

"You're not the same, we know. It'll take time." She stood up and grabbed the bottle he was holding in his hand. "But for now THIS needs to stop. You're an alcoholic, Five. You can't drink your problems away forever." She added. He looked solemnly at her and nodded.

"Is that even good for you? I mean your body is what? Like 80 pounds?" Klaus came from the kitchen with a bowl of icecream and spoke with a mouth full.

Five shrugs. "I'm not gonna stop drinking just because I can't get out of this body." He noted.

"Do it for Delores." Luther said.

Five looked at him confused.

"She said she never liked it when you drank, right? Don't keep doing this to yourself. To Delores. The apocolypse is over and we're here. You saved us." Five didn't expect that from Luther, considering Luther and Diego were jealous of him. They always wanted to be number one and Five coming in and saving the day was annoying to them. They always thought Five was so full of himself, but really he was just extremely worried about them dying and wanted to save them. He didn't think he was better. He was just the only one with knowledge about what happens to them. And none of them got that.

"It's okay to talk sometimes." Allison put a hand on Five's thigh and Five jumped at the contact immediately. 45 years alone is hell on a guy and really makes him picky about personal space.

Allison shook her head at his flinch and retracted her hand.

"Tell us about what happened while you were there." She said.

"What's there to tell?" Five asked solemly.

"Start from the beginning." She said.

Five sighed and suddenly wished he had Delores by his side. But he understood she had to rest.

"When I got into the argument with Dad, I decided to take a little trip because my foolish self decided that I was ready to jump in time when I wasn't. I jumped again, and again, and again. It got more beautiful each time. And then I stopped as soon as I reached the apocolypse. Dust flew in my face and in my nose, and everything was destroyed. I decided to look for you guys because I was so scared. I found the mansion, but only the doorway stood. The rest was crumbled and destroyed. I was there for a few hours before I found your bodies. I almost puked at the sight of it. All of you crushed under buildings, the blood everywhere. I would've cried had I not felt that I could get out of there and warn you guys. It might have taken 45 years, but I pulled through. I stayed with you guys for a few days, too scared to move. I even talked to you guys." He laughed at the thought. " I eventually had to leave and find more food. There wasn't much left there. I ate whatever I could find. Roaches, old canned food, old Twinkies. Then one day I found Delores in a store and finally I wasn't alone. We traveled for a while together, but eventually we settled down. I collected many books from the libraries and stores and educated myself on science and investigations. Even read Vanya's book. I spent 45 years educating myself and with Delores. Then the Handler came along. Why she waited for so long, I don't know. But she recruited me and put me through intense training. No questions, no emotion, just kill and go by orders. I was basically a robot. But I planned the whole time to leave behind her back. She thinks that I owe her something because she saved me. I would have eventually escaped. I was so close before she came. I had the equations almost right. It didn't take too long before I finally did it. I used the science books to figure it out. And here I am." He finished.

They knew he suffered horribly, but hearing it like this was just horrendous. Hearing him say all the things he suffered through was worse than just thinking about it. So much pain filled his prepubescent voice.

"At least I get to relive my life right again." He said.

He was pretty much sobered up by now. He grumbled at the thought. He was completely embarrassed at how he had acted tonight.

So weak and pitiful.

"I'll go make you some coffee." Allison offered.

Five nodded with a slight smile, which they all knew to take as a thank you.

Klaus trotted over to Five in a silly way, legs loose and arm dangly by his side.

He plopped down beside him and ate another spoon full. "So, you're an addict?" He giggled playfully. "I'm not the only fuck up, huh?" He laughed. Five rolled his eyes as he felt the effects of the alcohol.

"Shut up, Klaus." He mumbled.

"Hey, killer." He raised a hand in defense. "We fellow addicts stick up for each other."

"I'm nothing like you." Five grumbled.

"We're both addicts trying to escape from our pain. I think we are more alike than you think, little brother." He said in a serious tone.

"I'm just glad I got to see your old ass cry for once." He howled in laughter as he gave a nudge to Five's shoulder.

"I mean seriously, when was the last time?" Klaus asked.

Five shrugged. "I've lost count. It's been a long while I suppose."

Diego nodded and stood up. "Everyone has their breaking point, Five. Not even you are invisible." He said.

"Funny, coming from you." Five scoffed as he felt nausea building up from his stomach and clawing its way up his throat. He paused and tried to focus on his nausea for a moment, face turning pale.

"Five. I swear. If you throw-" Diego was cut off by Five hurling on the carpet and the coffee table.

"Up." Diego finished as he threw his hands in the air.

Allison walked in as she smelled the puke and looked down at the coffee. "I'm guessing you don't need this?" She asked.

Five cradled his stomach and, without looking at Allison, he reached out for the cup anyways.

Coffee was the only remedy to his troubles. At least it was better than alcohol.

Tbc... got any other oneshots?


	5. Calm down, tough guy

Diego had anger issues, this everyone knew. But to Diego, it wasn't an issue. It was a priority. It's what you needed to be number one.

To be tough. It's an idea his mind formed because Reginald Hargreeves made him feel weak because of his stutter.

His stupid stupid stutter.

That man made him feel relentlessly weak. Especially when mom tried to make him feel better about himself. They weren't allowed to have any kind of problems like, body issues and the fear of hurting the people you love (allison), depression and fear of being alone (Vanya), the fear of never being good enough (Luther), the fear of being weak and useless (Diego), the fear of the dead (Klaus), The fear of never knowing what comes next (Five). No.

Reginald Hargreeves made sure each of them threw those silly fears away from their minds. They were only distractions. So Diego got tough. Threw away his stutter like Reginald lectured. It took time, but now he felt as though he was a better leader than LUTHER.

Reginald may have been the biggest asshole Diego had ever met, but he did owe him for making him strong.

He knew he was better for this role than Luther. Luther kept making EVERY wrong decision and still everyone followed him like he was the messiah. He never listened. Neither did Allison. Both of them so blind in their own little worlds.

He threw the sharp knife at the center of the target as usual. He would never miss, there was really no need for practice, but it was fun when he was bored. Usually when he was bored he would go pick on Euphoria. But that's gone now. He had no one. Yes, he had his family. But as of right now they didn't connect at all.

He missed her so much. Her smile. Her natural urge to help people when they needed it. He loved her more than anything, but his pride wouldn't let him admit it until it was too late.

"Diego?" A small voice asked behind him. He turned Klaus who was sweating profusely.

He didn't answer and let Klaus start when he was ready.

"Will you tie me up again?" It was more a desperate plea this time instead of a demand as usual.

He was probably getting tired of hurting so much.

"Where? In the attic?" He asked. Klaus shrugged. "I don't care, I just. I can't. I need it." He began shaking immensely.

"Alright, alright. Calm down." He said as he put his hands up. "Sit down." He said. Diego reached for the rope he had on his desk and began tying the tweaking boy up.

"If you need anything, call us." He said. Klaus scrunched up his eyes in pain and winced. He nodded and laid his head back to absorb the pain like he always did. Diego did feel bad for him. He really did. Addiction. Diego had been through many things in his life, but addiction. Now that was a whole nother thing. Even what Five, even though he tries to act as though it's nothing, went through. It was horrible. They were so messed up. They act as though everything they go through is normal. But it's not. It hurts them, no matter how abnormal they are. They were human too, with human feelings!

Diego rushed down the stairs, feelings overwhelming his durable brain. His eyebrows were permanently furrowed, something he had in common with his father, but he didn't like to admit he had any kind of relationship with him.

He took a knife he had hidden on his body and tossed it in the air, catching it. He repeated the process many times out of boredom. He felt more calm with this whole "family" thing. Kept his mind off of the bad stuff that kept following them around. Everyone was happy. Sure, Klaus, five, Allison, and even himself, had some stuff to work on, but it was the best they have ever been.

Diego walked past his father's office door, a huge figure catching the corner of his eye. He backed up and entered the door as he saw Luther standing above his father's desk, looking over each object as if it were never before seen.

"What are ya doing there tough guy?" Diego walked in all fumbly.

Luther stared at the objects intensely, shaking from the pain.

"You alright?" Diego tried to act more sympathetic. He was trying to change the anger approach like he usually tried.

"I-I'm fine. I just.." he trailed off and let his large hairy fingers trace one of the objects on his desk.

"I miss him." Luther said. Diego scoffed. "Why?"

"You guys didn't stay with him as long as I did. He made me feel like I was needed." Luther said.

Diego crossed his arms. "Dad was an asshole. The only reason he made you feel like that was because you were the only one left. He didn't love you, me, Allison, Klaus, and definetely not poor Vanya!" He exclaimed.

Luther huffed loudly and closed his eyes. "I know. But he was our dad. I can't help but miss him." Luther said. Diego rolled his eyes.

"You have some serious daddy issues, Big Guy." Diego patted his shoulder. "Look. You can mourn over this asshole's death, but I'm praising the Lord for taking him."

"What did he do to you to make you hate him so much?" Luther asked in a serious tone. Diego stopped moving, even felt his breath stop in his throat.

He swallowed and blinked a few times. "Nothing." Luther saw his reaction to the question. He knew Diego was lying. "Diego-"

"Stop. Nothing happened." Diego finalized. He walked out of the office feeling Luther's eyes staring into his back.

Diego felt anger bubble up in his chest. Why the hell does Luther think he can just analyze his actions and assume how he feels?

Their father was an asshole, that was enough said.

Luther gripped his fists and walked out of the office with a determined look in his eyes.

"Diego, wait!" He called. His shoulders swayed back and forth with each step in an almost cocky manner. "Diego, stop. Now." He ordered.

Diego's eye twitched. An order? Right now?

"What'd you say?" He turned around and began to get in Luther's face angrily.

"I said stop walking." Luther said in a more soft tone.

"You're ordering me around again, huh?"

"There's a reason I did it in the first place." Luther retorted.

"I don't have to tell you shit! I didn't listen to you then, and I won't now. Dad is dead. Gone. Those rules don't apply anymore." He pointed at Luther's large chest.

He turned back around.

Luther roughly and hardly grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back. "No, they don't. But this family thing does apply now." Luther said.

"Oh, oh. This family thing? You mean this shit that we're constantly trying to convince ourselves? That we're a normal family? Because we aren't! We never will be! Just because you and princess Allison want it to be." He yelled. Allison and Klaus curiously walked down stairs listening closely to the conversation. Allison had untied him. He looked like he needed some water. His face was sweaty and pale, his lips dry.

Luther sighed and clenched his jaw irritatedly. "Stop talking!" Luther snapped back. He could feel his own anger slowly bubble up.

"Okay," Diego put his hands up in defense. "Alright. Want to be normal? So just forget that dad fucked us up in the head, that Klaus was in the war and has a drug problem, Five is completely fucked up, you were left on the moon and changed into some monkey, Allison lost her kid, Ben is still gone, VANYA IS DEAD!" He shouted the last sentence in pure anger, his voice quivering, breath stuttering, and tears lining his eyelids, but he refused to let them fall. He had too much pride.

Every Hargreeves kid, even Five, who just walked in the kitchen for some coffee, stared at him in awe. This was as much pure emotion as they had ever seen him have.

It was almost beautiful.

Diego's nostrils flared as his shaky breath came out like an angry ox.

"I understand. You're right." Luther said.

Diego paused. He was right?

His eyebrows corrugated in confusion. "I'm what?" He asked to make sure he heard right.

"I said," he paused and leaned into Diego's face. "You're right." He gave a soft smile.

Diego stepped back, still eyeing him as if he were a stranger in the house. "I'm right?" He laughed and threw his hands in the air.

"I never thought I'd hear the day when Luther himself said I was right about something." He scoffed.

"Well, you are. Enjoy it while it lasts. We all have our own issues we have to deal with. It sucks. But as a family, we need to deal with it. We always say this to Five and Klaus, looks like you need to take your own advice." Luther said. He put his hand on Diego's shoulder in reasurrance.

Diego looked at it in astonishment.

"I know." Said Diego. He did indeed know. He knew he was being a brat. He had been a hypocrite this whole time. He was nothing BUT a hypocrite. Always telling Klaus and Five the same old things that Luther was telling him. All the time. And here he was acting like them when he knows better. The memories made him a different man when he remembered them.

"Let's just talk about this." Luther said as he eyed every Hargreeves member so they knew he meant all of them join. The walls were thin and the halls were only filled massive amounts of echos. So no privacy was allowed.

Diego sighed. Great. His turn to be analyzed and given therapy sessions. They would finally know why he personally hated dad so much.

Diego slammed down on the couch looking quite irritated.

"Five, you too!" Luther's voice boomed from the living room to the kitchen. He saw Five trying to escape or be forgotten. He sighed and sipped on his coffee again.

He didn't care in the slightest about why Diego was angry or his stupid daddy issues.

"Come on then. Explain." Luther said. They were all sitting around him like how they usually interrogated Five and Klaus. He felt bad for them now. He knew how they felt now. Being the center of unwanted attention and being expected to talk about such a serious topic, it's just horrible. Scary really.

"There's nothing to talk about really. I just don't like him. We all know he was an asshole." Diego said. Klaus laughed and gave a slight nod.

"We all have our specific reasons and we aren't acting like this about it." Luther said.

Diego sighed and furrowed his eyebrows. He put his hand on his face and rubbed it soothingly.

"He didn't like me. I mean yeah, he didn't like Klaus. But he really didn't like me. He believed Klaus had potential and he pushed him.

Dad didn't like my stutter, he didn't like my ability. He debated giving me a name or not. It was like a reward I didn't deserve. I always screwed up saving people because of my stutter. He would always get mad when mom would help me through it because I needed to do it myself and grow up on my own. He would punish me everytime I messed up with my stutter. Mom was the only thing keeping me sane during those times. Then he started making her leave me alone to make me more self dependant. I begged him not to, but you know dad. I hated myself because I was just a screw up. He would tie me down in a chair in front of a mirror and make me speak sentences over and over again until I either stopped stuttering or began to stutter so bad I would panic and hyperventilate." He almost cried in remembrance.

"I hated him so much." Diego finished. "How did we not know about each other's punishments before this?" Allison asked in awe. She didn't have any bad punishments. Only once when her and Luther were found together at night. But not because she messed up or anything.

"Shit. What'd he do to you?" Allison asked Five.

Five shrugged. "I wasn't here as long as you guys so it doesn't matter much. I don't really care what he did to me."

Allison blinked a few times in surprise. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't matter!" She yelled.

"If I messed up he'd push me harder. If I was drained of my powers, he'd force me to keep doing it until I puked or passed out. He hurt us all. But he had his reasons. We shouldn't let it affect us. He's not worth it." Five sipped on his coffee again.

"And you shouldn't let your issues get to you constantly. If you keep going down THIS road, you'll end up killing yourself." Allison said, eyeing the empty liquor bottle beside him. He had put it in his coffee.

"Touche." He said.

Diego sighed and stood up.

"Screw this." He said.

"Diego, wai-" Luther tried.

"NO!" Diego yelled.

"I'm tired of waiting. I wanted to be the one who killed dad, you know that? I wanted to slit his throat in his sleep. I mean. The way he treated us, and MOM. He treated her like garbage. If she hadn't been there, I would have ended up like Ben. If I hadn't left, I would have ended up like YOU!" He poked Luther's chest harshly.

"Dad messed up my life. He made me feel important, and when he ended up making a mistake, he couldn't stand to see it anymore. You don't think I was mad? You dont think I AM mad? But I can't show it. Because I'm trying to move on. To lead you guys." Luther said.

Diego scoffed. "Oh, excuse me, SPACEBOY! I didn't ask for your help or guidance! You might be number one, but you are not MY number one." He spat.

"Guys!" Allison shouted and stepped in between them. She could feel the tension surrounding her and began to second guess her choice of getting in between them.

"Not everything has to be a fight." she said.

"Children?" A delicate voice said.

Diego instantly shot his head to the direction of the sound.

"Mom?" He smiled. He walked over to her and opened his arms, welcoming her into a hug. She accepted it and grabbed him tightly. "Diego, dear. What's the matter? I heard shouting." She expressed.

"Nothing mom. It's fine." He let go of her and held her hand, gently tapping it with his palm.

"We're fine." He reasurred.

She smiled. "Okay." She said, and she walked back into the kitchen.

Diego felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and faced Luther who kept his hand there.

"We're all here. Doesn't matter what dad did. None of it matters anymore. We're leaving it behind. You're your own person." Luther said.

Diego scoffed, once again feeling a tear arise on his eyeline. This time, Luther saw.

He decided to be risky. Luther gripped his shoulder and yanked him forward into a hug.

He wouldn't get away even if he wanted. Luther was much too strong.

But Diego didn't. In fact, he melted into the hug, which caught them all off guard. It was like he needed this. He felt Deigo shake a little, his shoulders bobbing up and down. He could've sworn it was laughter at first, but he knew that wasn't it. It was Diego crying. They never would've expected it.

Luther patted his back gently.

"I'm sorry." Diego said. Allison walked over to them and laughed a little. "Never thought I'd see this." She smirked. Klaus came over as well and opened his arms widely. "Group hug!" He shouted, and wrapped his lanky arms around Luther's big build.

Five looked at them wide eyed. He didn't want to get stuck in this. Fuck that. He grabbed his coffee and Delores.

"Five, wait!" Luther shouted. Five smirked. He might be trying to get better, but he was not good enough to be giving group hugs. He would die before that. They're lucky he even stayed at all for the meetings when he could just zap out. But what good would that be? They would just keep bothering him anyways.

He did, as he'd been wanting, zap out. They looked fine without him anyways. Besides, they were fine without him for 45 years, or rather

17 years for them. It only seemed natural that he leave them to their thang. He had Delores right now. It was enough.


End file.
